“We strive to create an atmosphere where everyone is welcomed and can experience God through our worship times.” This is what the leaders at Mongul Church in Shippensburg, PA set out to accomplish when they teamed up with Spire Lighting Design. Mongul’s mission statement is to be “more than a building to come to on Sunday mornings.” They needed a worship venue to reflect that sentiment. They weren’t simply looking for an updated room in order to keep up with the times but a genuine place to worship and create a fellowship as a church.
Lead pastor Rocky Spear and worship pastor Monty Seaman wanted to create a space that had those building blocks in place from a lighting and scenic standpoint. Spire worked with Mongul Church to design a contemporary worship space that uses the latest LED technology to create an efficient and stylish area, designing and installing the lighting and rigging systems in what was formerly Mongul’s downstairs multipurpose room.
The installed lighting system in the house uses low-voltage cable lighting fixtures, creating a warmer and more intimate space. For the stage lighting system, LED PARs are used as backlight, allowing the stage to be washed with color. The stage is lit with Apollo Design’s Multiform HP3-90s along with six ETC Source Four ellipsoidals. Spire used a combination of industrial materials for the set: expanded steel, corrugated aluminum, sheet metal, curved PVC pipes, frosted acrylic light boxes, and stable light towers set the scene. The materials for the backdrop are hanging from an ADC curtain track that allows the church to create and hang its own themed settings in the future. The hanging light boxes and towers, made of MDF and frosted acrylic, use standard SMD 5050 RGB LED strips to allow for color mixing. Ultimately, the set is industrial, versatile, and budget-conscious.
Pathway Cognito Pro512 Takes Control
To allow for straightforward control of the LED fixtures, a Pathway Connectivity Cognito Pro512 was specified for the space, especially since so many churches rely on volunteers to operate its sound and lighting systems. Spire says it chose the Cognito console not only for its user-friendly management but to allow for future integration of moving lights and because it allows the operator to control a 10-channel custom LED dimmer. Spire's Tyler Hoffman comments further, adding, "The Cognito is perfect for control of several LED fixtures when a combination of programming techniques are needed. It's both a live desk and a cue-based desk, which makes it appealing to designers and programmers alike."
Since the company took off in 2007, Spire notes that it has often worked with organizations that stand for "something exponentially bigger than the ins and outs of daily life," accumulating a portfolio with many faith-based projects or venues that celebrate creativity and the importance and beauty of the arts. Hoffman adds, "We are fueled by creative thinking, and it's always a plus when a client can think creatively with us. We hope that the end result of each project reflects our uniqueness and exceeds expectations."